Queen Margaret College
53 Hobson Street, Thorndon
Composite score
Established
Top 25% in NZ
Rank #589 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Queen Margaret College is a private composite school in Wellington serving 756 students. An ERO special review in February 2021 confirmed the school meets all registration requirements, with particular strengths in student safety systems and self-review processes for international student provision. The school achieved a composite score of 85.
Best suited for
Students all year levels (Year 1-13) in Thorndon looking for an independent setting with an established ERO profile.
Is Queen Margaret College a good school?
Queen Margaret College scores 77/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Top 25% in NZ nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
Strengths from the latest ERO report
- School meets all eight criteria for registration as a private school
- Strong systems and processes for managing student safety as documented through regular policy review
- Effective annual self-review process for international student provision with strong stakeholder engagement
Summary derived from ERO reports + audited financials + MoE records. Every claim links to its source — see data transparency at the bottom of this page.
Score breakdown
6 axes, each scored 0–100 on a national absolute scale. As at 2025.
L1 94% · L2 91% · UE 86% · below band median (n=38) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 52% · Te Pūkenga 1% · Industry 0% · above band median (n=36) · why? ▼ hide
92% to Y13 · near band median (n=44) · why? ▼ hide
no discipline data · why? ▼ hide
+8.8% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · near band median (n=77) · why? ▼ hide
85/100 from ERO review 2021-02 · top quartile of band (n=96) · why? ▼ hide
Real ERO composite (from the latest review): 85/100.
Latest ERO review
2021-02-04 · Dr Lesley Patterson, Southern Region - Te Tai Tini
- Queen Margaret College meets all criteria for registration as a private school under clauses 2 to 6 Schedule 7 of the Education and Training Act 2020
- The school has suitable premises, staffing, equipment, and curriculum that meets registration requirements
- The school has regularly reviewed policies and procedures to provide for a physically and emotionally safe place for students
- The school's provision for international students is effective with well-considered orientation processes and strong pastoral support
- Queen Margaret House hostel provides a 'home away from home' with effective systems for managing students' physical and emotional safety
"The school's manager has attested that they comply with the provisions of section 35G in respect to their being a fit and proper person to manage the school."
Composite score across reviews
2 ERO reviews on file, 2015–2021. Click a point to read that review.
Audited financials
Year ended 2024 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$20.44M
Surplus / (deficit)
+$346k
Net assets / equity
$15.22M
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
93.9%
62 of 66 leavers
-4.8pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
90.9%
60 of 66 leavers
-5.1pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
86.4%
57 of 66 leavers
-5.6pt vs prior year
Data: Ministry of Education / Education Counts, CC-BY-4.0
Stay-on rate
Percentage of students who stay at school until at least their 17th birthday — the standard NZ proxy for Year-9-to-Year-13 retention.
92.4%
2024 cohort · 66 students
-3.6pt vs 2023
Vocational Pathway Awards
School leavers achieving Vocational Pathway Awards by industry sector (2024).
- Creative Industries 9
- Service Industries 6
Government funding
Crown funding only (school operations + teacher salaries + property). Excludes locally-raised funds, international fees and trading income — those are in the audited financial report above.
Total Crown funding · 2022
$0.84M
Per-student funding · 2022
$1,107
2018
$0.9M
2019
$1.0M
2020
$1.0M
2021
$0.9M
2022
$0.8M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 21
- Year 02 15
- Year 03 29
- Year 04 20
- Year 05 21
- Year 06 34
- Year 07 61
- Year 08 84
- Year 09 81
- Year 10 104
- Year 11 105
- Year 12 89
- Year 13+ 94
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 65.5%
- Asian 36.0%
- Māori 6.5%
- International 5.8%
- Other / MELAA 3.2%
- Pacific 2.8%
International students
SIEBA member · Boarding available
ESOL support
partial
Years accepted
Year 1 to 13
Location
53 Hobson Street, Thorndon. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Queen Margaret College.
Thorndon School
Full Primary · 0.2km · 265 roll
73
-4 vs this
Wellington Girls' College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · 0.3km · 1,432 roll
86
+9 vs this
Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu
Correspondence School · 0.4km · 9,145 roll
74
-3 vs this
Sacred Heart Cathedral School
Full Primary · 0.6km · 228 roll
79
+2 vs this
St Mary's College (Wellington)
Secondary (Year 9-15) · 0.6km · 550 roll
84
+7 vs this
Clifton Terrace Model School
Full Primary · 1.4km · 69 roll
77
0 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Queen Margaret College a good school?
Queen Margaret College scores 77/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Top 25% in NZ nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
What does the latest ERO review say?
ERO's 2021-02 review identified 5 key findings. Queen Margaret College meets all criteria for registration as a private school under clauses 2 to 6 Schedule 7 of the Education and Training Act 2020
How do I enrol my child at Queen Margaret College?
Contact the school directly on 04-4737160, email data@qmc.school.nz, or visit www.qmc.school.nz. For state schools, check your home address against the school's enrolment zone — some schools are in-zone-only.
What are the fees?
Queen Margaret College is a private school. Tuition fees are set by the school — contact them directly for current rates.
What is the roll size?
Queen Margaret College has 756 students. It is a girls school-only school.
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Queen Margaret College in 2021-02, signed by Dr Lesley Patterson. 2 ERO reports are on file in our archive.
Data transparency
Every fact on this page links to its source. We never publish a claim without provenance — read our methodology for the full rules.
Sourced from
- ero.govt.nz
- qmc.school.nz
- sieba.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz